Insulating roofing



Sept. 19, 1944. w, HOGAN 2,358,396

INSULATING ROOFING Filed Feb. 22, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR Sept. 19, 1944. w. A. HOGAN INSULATING ROOFING Filed Feb. 22, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w a a Patented Sept. 19, 1944 'msnm'rmc ooms I William A. nokan, New York, N. Y. Application February 22, 1944, Serial No. 523,439

11 Claims.

This invention relates to covering for surfacing buildings and especially to roofing slabs.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple inexpensive slab of this type which possesses substantial thermal insulating character. Another object of the invention is to provide a construction for making a roof or siding which is waterproof.

Another object is to provide such a slab which, when put in place, enables the roof to simulate the appearance of a shingle roof yet without the necessity for the slabs or elements largely overlapping one another. 1

A further object is to provide an elastic sealing means between the slabs, which sealing means is enclosed to a substantial extent and yet does not set or harden whereby a slight movement of one slab with respect to another is'not likely to cause a leaky crack to develop.

Insulation of walls and roofs is recognized as a very important item of modern building con--v struction. Our particular interest is the insulation of roofs, more particularly, that type of roof known as a peak roof, or roofs usually of shingles of wood, slates, tiles, etc., on residences, churches, shops, farm buildings and numerous other suburban and country buildings and some of the less pretentious of these such as barns, poultry houses, etc., frequently covered with roll roofing. Roofs of this nature present a problem of insulation that heretofore has not been successfully solved.

Several types of good insulating materials have been employed in the attempt to insulate such roofs, chief among these being loose mineral wool and rigid insulating sheets, both of which are rendered'worthless when subjected to water or vapor absorption. Shingled roofs may be rainproof under normal conditions, but few such roofs I remain rain-proof under extreme conditions.

None are air tight and none' are positively rainproof. Because of the numerous openings or cracks between the shingles, rain driven by .high winds aided by capillary attraction frequently enters at many points on such roofs. If infrequent, these leaks may not cause appreciable damage except where-perishable insulation is placed beneath the roofing. We may assume that roofs of 'roll roofing and roofs of tiles or slates are absolutely tight (as the latter are laid over roll roofing) and that the possibility of damage by entrance of water through the roof is eliminated.

These presumably water and air tight roofs however promote rather than prevent condensa- Fig. 7 is an end view of one of the slabs showing water or vapor.

dition is provided for the'creation of objectionable condensation over the entire roofed area.

In extremely cold weather this condensation is, at times, so profuse as to destroy the entire installation of conventional insulation. It is obvious that this. method of combining insulation with roofing is a failure.

Cognizant of this, builders are abandoning this practice and leave the roof alone. insulate only the rooms immediately below the attic by installing the insulating material in the ceilings of these rooms, abandoning any attempt to insulate the attic by installing insulation under the roofing boards or between the roof rafters.

a The new method of roofing combines roofing and insulation. While revolutionary in principle, the new method in. appearance retains and enhances the charming appearance of shingles, at the same time eliminating the weakness and instability of shingles. It is claimed for the new method that an'absolutely water and air tight roofing is accomplished and that a highly eifie cient system of rigid insulation is incorporated which is substantially impervious to damage by Strongly built and interlocked one with another, the roofing units or slabs are attached directly to the roof rafters, thereby eliminating the necessity for roof boarding or sheathing.

Fig. l is a perspective view showing a roof construction embodying my invention on a greatly reduced scale.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of such a roof construction.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fragment of 7 one of the purlins which reinforces and unites slabs and constitutes a part of the roof construction.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of one of the end guard plates and a. fragment of an adjacent plate.

Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary cross sectional view showing one of the guard plates attached to the end of a. roof slab.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing one of the roof slabs with the connected edges of adjacent slabs above and below.

a fragment of the end strip for interlocking with the end of an adjacent slab.

Fig. 8 is a vertical end view showing the two parts of a slab before they are united.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a fragment of one end of a slab with the interlocking strip attached and before the outer layer is applied.

Fig. 10. is an exploded perspective view showing the ends of two purlins with a splice piece between them.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view showing fragments of the ends of two slabs united.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a fragment of one of the interlocking strips.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing one edge of the slab.

Fig. 1 shows in perspective the principal elements of a roof construction composed of a number of slabs 15 each of which is formed of insulating material and supported directly on the rafters l6.

Each slab is reinforced along its upper edge by a metallic purlin I! in the form of a channel which embraces the upper edge of the slab. A similar strip I'I' forms the lower edge support for the slabs which are laid above it. This lower strip II is secured by nails l9 to the fascia or side timber l8 of the roof. The purlins H and strips l1 are provided with a row of holes 20 for the nails and for temporary connecting pins (not shown) which may be used.

Each purlin is provided with a flange 2| which extends along its central portion and is adapted to fit into a slot or groove 22 in the lower edge of a slab. The lower edge of each slab is provided with an extension 23 which fits over the purlin on the slab below and covers the heads of the nails 24 which secure the lower slab and its purlin to the rafters. The purlin is provided with a number of holes arranged along its length so that there will always be a hole at or adjacent the location of a rafter regardless of the spacing of the rafters.

The upper edge of each slab is provided with a rib 25 and an adjacent groove 26 and the lower edge of each slab is provided with two ribs 27 and 28 with a groove 29 between them. The

- groove 29 is filled with a suitable sealing cement 29' whichwill be of such a character as to remain somewhat plastic for a long time so that when the edges of the slabs are interlocked as shown at the bottom of Fig. 6 the rib 25 will be pressed into the sealing material in the groove 29 and thus afford a permanent watertight joint.

In order to join the purlin sections of horizontally adjacent slabs I provide a channel-like splicer 30 which fits into the ends of the channels of the purlins l1, l1 and has holes to correspond with the holes in the purlins so that the same nails which hold the purlins in place pass through the splicer and hold it in place.

To construct the roof, the rows of slabs are laid one above the other with the ends in staggered arrangement so as to break joints or in alinement, if desired. When the top rowsare in place the top edge will be closed by a suitable strip 3| embedded in plastic sealing composition as shown in Fig. 2 similar to the cement 29 and 39.

The right hand end of each slab is provided with a reinforcing strip 32 which has flanges 33 and 34 secured to the slab and ribs 35 and 36 which extend to the right beyond the end of the slab. The left hand end of each slab is provided with grooves 31 and 38 adapted to receive the ribs and 36 of the slab on the left. Sealing material 39 is provided in the groove 38 which is compressed by the rib 36 when the parts are assembled so as to make a. watertight joint at this point. Between the exposed upper edges of the ends is laid a sealing strip 40 formed of suitable material to close the joint between the slabs. The strip 32 has an upturned lug 32" to fit in the space between slabs and help to hold the sealing material in place and an upturned flange 32' for anchoring the strip 32 in place.

The end of each slab at the end of a row is covered and protected by a channel-like member 4| which is tapered to correspond with the taper of the slab itself. This member has an extension 42 adapted to interlock with the lower end of the member on the slab next above it. These members have dependent flanges 43 to serve as drip flanges to carry off the water away from the surface of the slab. The edges of the member 4| may be turned inwardly at 44 to grip the surfaces of the slab.

Surfaced and of the same color and texture as the roofing, these ,closures present the appearance of being part of the unit itself and not an attachment. Thus heavily armored by this means, the ends are protected against damage to the relatively soft material of which the unit is made.

Insulating wall boards. such as Celotex, Masonite, etc. are familiar to all. These and similar products are made of fibrous vegetable material such as cane and wood. For insulating purposes, the less tightly compressed and most porous of these wall boards provide the better insulation. For wall boarding where a measure of rigidity and strength is required, tightly compressed boards lose much insulating value. Employing such material to make our units, we may develop it to its highest practicable porosity. The

40 thick unit is subject to little compressive or tensile stress, (this being born by the purlins) which permits of a porous construction with consequent numerous air cells, indispensable to insulation.

Preferably the slab itself is formed of two layers as shown more clearly in Fig.8. The outer layer l5 may be suitably reinforced by a suitable woven fabric such as burlap 45 and in part by wire mesh at 45'. The two layers may be secured together in any suitable manner as for instance by waterproof glue at 46 and by stitches as at 41. By forming the slab in two layers it is thus possible to more readily form the grooves along the edges. It will be understood of course that the entire slab is formedof suitable material such as Celotex or other porous insulating building material and that it will be coated throughout with waterproof material such as asphalt. I prefer however to also provide vents from the interior as for instance through some of the holes along\ the upper edge of each slab which are not used for the nails. This permits the slab to breathe and improves its insulating characteristics.

In process of attaching the metal purlin, four holes are drilled through the unit material, to receive the pins which attach the purlin to the unit. The snugly fitting pins remain in place until the unit is placed for fastening to the rafters. It will be noted that the through holes have uncoated walls. The purlin end pins are engaged in couplings, the two intermediate pins are removed immediately before attaching the unit to rafters, thus providing two sheltered vent holes, one of which is ample for the purpose.

The ultimate surfacing consists of slate or synthetic granules similar to that applied to asphalt strip shingles. After the initial coating of the weather surfaces, an additional coating of hot asphalt is applied into which is laid a covering i of coarsely woven burlap, covering top and edges. After drying, a final heavy asphalt coating 48 is applied, into which the granules 49 are pressed. By this process we have what amounts to a substantial built up roofing, the burlap se'rving as a binder and making possible heavier asphalt coating. The granule surfacing termiters. The lower flange has only four perforations in its length, approximately equally spaced. At these points the attaching pins are situated. After laying the unit on the rafters preparatory to attaching, the left hand pin is removed, the

splice piece extended and secured in its extended position by replacement of the pin. The extended splice is now engaged with the abutting purlin at the left. the fastening pin being insert ed to complete the splice. After a full row of units are spliced together by starting at the left and proceeding to the right, the units are pressed down upon the row or course below to the point where the transverse joining is complete.

. gles.

Now ready for attachment, a common arrow point nail is inserted in the hole provided in the upper flange of the purlin and driven through the unit until the point of the nail is brought in contact with the imperforated lower metal flange.

A sharp hammer blow causes the nail to puncture and pass through the lower flange and into the wood rafter. The nail is further driven to its proper position as shown on the drawings. The two intermediate attachment pins are now removed and discarded.

When installation is complete we see the metal purlins embedded in the insulating material well below the roofing surface protected from solar rays and consequent heat or cold absorption. It will be further noted that the units are reinforced by the purlin which in turn is heavily reinforced by the heavy section of rigid insulation units, forming sturdy roof tying and bracing.

It will be seen that the roofing may overhang and completely form the'end eaves. This is a unique and valuable feature where simple architectural treatment is desired, such as on barns and other farm buildings, summer cottages, shops, etc. The overhang is made possible by the metal purlin reinforcement and metal end closure. With the overhang feature, is possible to eliminate cutting entirely by hav- Incidentally-all roofing may and should be pre-cut and prepared-in advance of erection, as all lengths and cuts are easily and accurately pre-determined.

As these cemented ends occur only at the terminals of courses, there is no intermediate cutting of units. Immediately the short piece is attached tothe rafters at the left or right ends or terminals, the end is again profusely coated with cement and the metal "closure attached as de scribed.

, These closures are made of 26 gauge sheet iron or steel, heavily asphalt coated on the outer surfaces and finished to match in the roofing color and texture. The tapered closures are driven down to a tight fit and engagement with the closure below. The underside of the closure provides an edge that cuts into the soft underside of' the unit, causing it to grip the roofingin a manner so secure that nailing or any other means of fastening is not required. Again we see that the cement used at the ends as inthe entire system is completely concealed and protected.

. To appreciate the revolutionary nature ofthe new method, we may for comparison appraise some features of a popular type of comparatively inexpensive roofing, namely, asphalt strip shin- Better grades of asphalt strip 'shingles provide good roof covering, and when properly applied may be considered substantial and durable roofing, as well as possessing valuable fire resistive qualities. This method of roofing has,

however, many well known and insurmountablelimitations which are entirely overcome by the new method. '1

First: Shingles of all types require a very definite roof slope or pitch, which in the case of shingles may be conservatively assumed to be not less than 6" rise to each foot of run. For example, a roof span of 30 feet with the run of the rafter 15 feet, 6" rise to each foot of run, gives us a roof height of 7 /2 feet.

The new roofing requires only sufilcient roof pitch to permit water to flow freely from the roof. This pitch then need not be more than A" to the foot, which gives a roof height of less than 1 foot, as against 7 feet required for old style roofing. It will be readily appreciated that an entirely new and practically unrestricted field of roof construction and design is possible by employing the improved form.

ing the overhang accommodate 5 ft. lengths..-

' However, any desired length is had by cross cutcoated with special cement supplied with the roofing, thus temporarily, but adequately safeguarding the material against moisture absorp-- tion, until placed in position on the roof.

Second: Roof boarding, necessary to old style roofing, is entirely eliminated by the new method.

The substantial saving in cost here as well as the reduction of loading on the rafters and structure is appreciable. The improved units supply the required roof tying and bracing.

Third: Ordinary shingles do not, of course, have insulating qualities, but on the contrary are extremely conducive of heat and/or cold, and create the necessity for accompanying insulating measures, always costly and seldom effective.

The new roofing units are substantial and highly efiicient insulating units covering all parts of the roof, fittingtightly and snugly at the eaves, at the start, in valleys and at all other roof joinings, forming an unbroken barrier against the entrance or escape of heat or cold.

It will be noted that, by thesingle process of laying the roofing units, roof bracing and insula-- tion are automatically installed. Substantially asphalt coated on all sides and edges, the units are at all times protected against water or vapor absorption. a

Fourth: Asphalt shingled roofs consist of numerous small overlappirm units with a usual weather expose of 5". A 36" long x 12f wide shingle unit is 3 square feet in area, yet due to the loss by overlapping, .covers only 1% square feet of roofing area. The new unit while only slightly in excess of 5 square feet in area, covers exactly 5 square feet of roofingarea. Therefore,

' by laying one new unit, four times the roofing area is covered than is covered by one shingle unit. The many small separated and overlapping units comprising the old shingle method, present many potential entrances for water. There are no separations between the new units to provide entrances for either water or air as the units are positively cemented together atall joinings, the cement being installed in such manner that it remains elastic and practically indestructible. I

It will be seen that the weather parts, or those parts on the roofing surface'of the longitudinal joint fit tightly, the soft asphalt coated surfaces not only contact and slightly overlap but are tightly pressed together forming a tight joint which of itself could possibly exclude water during severe tests. However, this overlapping is simply the completion of the air tight enclosure or housing for the cement and the first barrier against entrance of water or air.

The concealed cement joint itself is the second and positive barrier. In pressing the upper and lower units together, surplus cement is forced upward and into the slot provided, thus forming a curb and additional barrier to insure against water getting beyond this point or above the tight joint.

It will be seen that each unit is cemented on all sides, forming a complete system of continuous cementing throughout the roofing.

This cement lies in air tight channels, the walls of which are made non-absorbent by asphalt coating.

Conclusion 1. It is practicable and preferable to prepare and pre-fit the roofing and insulation in advance of erection, By this means, roofs may be put on in a day that would require days by other methods.

2. On new roofs of steep pitch where scaffolding is ordinarily required, the new method may be installed from the inside, except at the ridge where the two last courses on one side are easily applied by the roofer, from a sitting position on the ridge.

3. The rapidity of application is indicated by the fact that 60 nails are required by the new method to lay 100 square feet of roofing, but by laying roofing boards and strip shingles, 660 nails are required for the same area by the old method, or eleven times the number of nails to be driven by the new method.

I claim:

1. An insulating roofing slab having a rib and groove along its outer surface near its upper edge, the upper edge projecting above said rib and groove, said slab having two ribs with a sealing pocket between them along its lower edge extendingbelow the remainder of the lower part of the slab and leaving space to accommodate the uriderlapping upper edge of a similar slab below it, the upper rib of said slab serving to compress sealing material into the pocket between the ribs along the lower edge of a similar slab above.

2. An insulating roofing slab having a rib and groove along its outer surface near its upper edge, the upper edge projecting above said rib and groove, a metallic channel secured along said upper edge, said'slab having two ribs with a sealing pocket between them along its lower edge extending below the remainder of the lower part of the slab and-leaving space to accommodate the underlapping upper edge and channel of a similar slab below it, .the upper rib of said slab serving to compress sealing material into the pocket between the ribs along the lower edge of a slab above.

3. In a roof construction, an insulating slab having a metallic reinforcing strip secured along its upper edge and having a projecting flange for fitting into a slot in a similar slab above it and. havin a rib and groove at itsouter face adapted to fit into a sealing pocket of such slab above it, said slab having a slot in its lower edge and a pair of ribs with a pocket filled with plastic sealing material between the latter ribs to be compressed by the rib on the upper edge of a similar slab below and positioned so as to completely cover the metallic reinforcing strip of the slab below when assembled on a roof.

4. In a roof construction, an insulating slab having a metallic reinforcing and anchoring strip secured along its upper edge and having a rib and groove at the outer face of said upper edge adapted to fit into a sealing pocket when assembled with a slab above it and having a pair of ribs at its lower edge with a pocket filled with plastic sealing material between the ribs to be compressed by the rib on the upper edge of a slab below, the reinforcing and anchoring strip extending above the level of the first mentioned rib and groove so that when one slab is assembled above another slab the said strip is completely covered by the part of the slab above.

5. An insulating roof consisting of rows of insulating slabs interlocked one upon the other, each insulating roof slab being formed of two securing the slab to roof rafters, a similar purlin I strip for interlocking with and anchoring the lower edge of the lowermost slab to the roof rafters, the lower edge of the outer layer and a part of the lower edge of the inner layer extending below the remainder lower portion of the inner layer and leavin space beneath the lower edge of the inner layer for a purlin strip, each slab having a pocket filled with plastic sealing material between the said extending lower edges, the upper edge of the outer layer of each slab having a rib pressing into the sealing material in the pocket in the lower edge of the slab above it.

6. An insulating roof consisting of rows of insulating slabs interlocked one upon the other, each insulating roof slab having a rib at the front near its upper end, a portion of the upper end at the rear extending above the rib at the front and provided with a. reinforcing metallic purlin strip having a flange for interlocking with a slot in the lower portion of the slab above it, said slab and said purlin strip havin holes for receiving nails for securing the slab to roof rafters, a similar purlin strip for interlocking with and anchoring the lower edge of the lowerthe slab having two downwardly extending spaced ribs with a pocket between them-extend ing below the remainder lower portion of the slab and leaving space beneath the ribs for-a in the lower edge of the slab sulating material, arranged end to end with a groove between the outer edges closed at the bottom by a metallic strip extending across the bottom of the groove and into the ends of the adjacent slabs and plastic sealing material filled into said groove on top of the metal strip.

8. An insulating roof comprising slabs of insulating material arranged end to end with a groove between the outer edges closed at the bottom by a metallic strip extending across the bottom of the groove and into the ends of the adjacent slabs, plastic sealing material filled into said grove on top of the metal strip and a tongue extending from said strip into said sealing material to prevent it from creeping in said groove.

9. An insulating roof comprising slabs of insulating material arranged end to end with a groove between the outer edges closed at the bottom by 'a metallic strip extending across the bottom of the groove and into the ends of the adjacent slabs, plastic sealing. material filled into said groove on top of the metal strip and plastic sealing means sealing both edges of said metallic strip.

10. An insulating roof slab having a part of one end extending beyond the adjacent part of said end and having a metallic locking member secured to it, a part of said locking member being folded into a double rib form, a part of said locking member being bent to form a rib with an inclined wall, a part of the locking member being connected to the outer part and cover-' ing the part which extends beyond the outer part, the opposite end of [the slab having a groove to receive the double rib of an adjacent slab and also having a channel to receive the rib with an inclined wall of the adjacent slab, said slab having a pocket filled with plastic sealing material at the'bottom of said channel.

11. An insulating roof slab formed of two layers secured together, one end of the inner layer extending beyond the adjacent end of the outer layer and having a metallic locking mem-.- ber secured to it, a part of said locking member being bent to form a rib, a part of the looking member being connected to the outer layer and covering the part of the inner layer which extends beyond the outer layer, the opposite end of the slab having a channel to receive the rib of the adjacent slab, said slab having a pocket filled with plastic sealing material at the bottom of said channel at the junction of the two layers of the slab.

WILLIAM A. HOGAN. 

